Apparatus for steaming and spicing dried fruit.



Patented lune l8. I901.

C. E. HALE. APPARATUS FOR STEAMING AND SPIGING DRIED FRUIT.

(Application filed Jan 18, 1901.)

(No Model) 'YNE NORRIS PETERS DQ PNTD L|TNO.. WASHINGTON, U. C

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

CHARLES E. HALE, OF ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. K. ARMSBYCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR S TEAMING AND SPICING DRIED FRUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,608, dated June 18,1901.

Application filed January 18, 1901. Serial No. 43,735. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. HALE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Alameda, county of Alameda, State of California, haveinvented an Improvement in Apparatus for Steaming and Spicing DriedFruit; and I hereby declare the-followin g to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same.

My invention relates to an apparatus which is especially designed forsteaming or steaming and spicing dried fruits of any description whichare capable of such treatment.

It consists, essentially, of a journaled drum having hollow shafts andtrunnions for the admission of steam and, if desired, the spicing mediumand a perforated hood within the drum over and around which the fruit iscontained and through which the steam and other products are delivered,so as to clean and permeate and be absorbed by the fruit. A suitableopening is made in the upper part of the drum for receiving anddischarging the contents, and means are employed for tilting andrevolving the drum from its normally upright position to carry thedischarge-opening to a point where the contents can be emptied.

It also comprises details of construction, which will be more fullyexplained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which' Figure 1is a general view of the appara: tus, partly shown in section. Fig. 2 isa lateral central section through the fruit-containing vessel. Fig. 3 isa detail view of the hood.

This apparatus is designed for the steaming and preparation of driedprunes or-other fruits of any description,so as to clean,change, andimprove the flavor of the fruit.

Prunes and similar fruits are ordinarily prepared for the market byfirst grading the fresh fruit, then dipping it into an alkalinesolution, and sometimes pricking the skins by sharp points, afterwhich'the fruit is dried and placed in a marketable condition. At

this stage or at any time after drying has been thus completed theprunes are subjected to the operation which is herein described for thepurpose of cleaning and improving their flavor, which is done bysubjecting them to steam and in conjunction therewith, if desired, withflavoring materi als of any description. This flavoring I have describedunder the general name of spicing. It may include the introduction ofcinnamon,allspice,cloves,nutmeg,mace,almond, pepper, or vanilla, orother flavors which are not strictly called spices, but for which I useas a generic term the word spicing.

The apparatus here shownand described consists of a containing vessel A,which for convenience may be made in the form of a cylinderof anysuitable size and material. This cylinder is mounted upon trunnions insuitable bearings, (not here shown,) and the shaft 2 is here shown astubular, extending through suitable stufling-boxes or trunnions, as at3, whereby the escape of steam or other fluids from the interior can beprevented. This shaft is connected at one end with a pipe 4, leading toany source from which the necessary steam or hot water can be obtained.It is preferable to use steam in this connection as being moreelfective, cleansing, and more thoroughly permeating the fruit. Inconnection with this I have shown a chamber 5, adapted to contain thespicing or equivalent flavor, and this is connected by a pipe 6 with thesteam-pipe 4, and a second pipe 7 connects it with the hollow shaftwhich enters the containing-chamber A. By means of cocks at 8 and 9connection with this chamber may be cut off, and by means of the cook 10the steam or fluid is allowed to pass directly from the pipe 4 into thetubular shaft and thence into the interior of the chamber withoutpassing through the spice-chamber 5. When it is desired to pass thesteam through the spice-chamber, the cooks 8 and 9 are opened and thecook 10 is closed to any desired extent, so that the steam will passthrough this chamber and will then carry its conten ts or flavors intothe containing-chamber A. This chamber A has upon one side, which isnormally the top, an opening, as at 11, and a closing-cover 12, withsuitable gasket and bolts or other locking devices whereby it is securedin place. Through this opening when the cover is removed the fruit ofwhatever description may be introduced.

The process as here described is applied to the treatment of prunes.

In the lower part of the chamberA and opposite to the opening 11 is aninverted-V- shaped hood 13, the upper curvature of which passes over theshaft 2 and the lower divergent edges being turned outwardly and boltedor otherwise secured to the inner periphery and bottom of the chamber A.The sides of this moisture and any flavoring which may be in- Itro'duced therewith.

The quantity of steam or vapor introduced may be so regulated by thecontrolling-cocks that only so much will be introduced as will beabsorbed by the fruit; but any surplus that may happen to condense orremain in the lower part can be drawn off at any time by means of acock, as at 16.

When the treatment of the fruit has been completed, the apparatus can beturned so that the opening 11 will be presented downward lyand the fruitcan be discharged therefrom. This turning may be effiec'ted in variou'sways. It might be done by means, as here shown, of a rope or chain 17,passing over guide-pulleys, as at 18, and having its ends connected withsuitable attachments 19 upon the sides of the "drum, so that by applyingpower to the chain 17 to move it inone direction the opening 11 will bebrought to the top of the apparatus, and by applying the power to pullthe chain in the other direction the cylinder will be turnedsufficiently to bring the month into position for discharge of thecontents.

Having thus described my invention, what I'claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus for cleansingan'd spi-ein'g dried fruit including acontaining-chamber 1 for the fruit, a perforated pipe extending into thechamber, and a hood within the chamber having its upper portioninclosing said pipe said hood being perforated to permit the vapordelivered from the pipe to be discharged into the mass of fruit whichcovers and surrounds the hood.

2. An apparatus for cleansing and spicing dried fruits including acontaining-chamber for the fruit, a perforated pipe extending into saidchamber, and an inverted, substantially \I-shaped hood fixed within thechamber, having its upper curvature to fit over the pipe and its sidesperforated whereby the vapor delivered into the chamber passes throughthe perforations and into the mass of fruit which covers and surroundsthe hood.

An apparatus for cleansing and spicing dried fruits including acontaining-chamber, a perforated steam pipe passing into the same, aninverted hood, substantially V- shaped in cross-sectionandhavingforaminous walls, said hood being fixed within the chain ber so that itsupper curvature incloses the pipe, and means for impregnating the steamwith flavoring matter before the vapor is de livered into the hoodwhereby the fruit is treated in the presence of flavored steam.

4. In an apparatus for spicing or flavoring fruits, the combination of afruit-containing chamber, a vapor-inlet into said chamber, a chambercontaining a flavoring material, and

means for directing the vapor through the ii 'avoring material beforesaid vapor reaches the vapor-inlet of the fruit-containing chamber.

5. The combination of a fruit-containing chamber, a perforatedsteam-pipe passing into the same, a perforated hood-shaped chamber inthe fruit-chamber and into which the steam is first delivered,aehambercontaining flavor ing material, inlet and outlet connectionsbetween the flavoring-chamber and the steampipe, and means ford'i rectimg the how of steam through the flavoring chamber before it reaches thehood-shaped chamber whereby the steam is impregnated with flavoringmaterial before it is delivered to the fruit.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES HALE.

\Vitnesses CHARLES L. LATHR'OP,

J. R. HAMILTON.

will

